Back support garment apparatus

ABSTRACT

A one-piece back support apparatus comprises a belt portion being configured to provide back and abdominal support encircling a wearer&#39;s waist and a compression pants portion. The belt portion has a front portion, a back portion, a top portion, a bottom portion and an inner surface. The compression pants portion secured to the belt is configured to provide support for the wearer&#39;s pelvis, legs, and groin area. The inner surface of the belt has one or more pack support portions with slots for receiving one or more gel packs so as to maintain contact between the gel packs and the wearer&#39;s back. Slots in the belt portion may accommodate vertically extending inserts of rigid plastic to reinforce the belt portion over the lumbar region of the wearer.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to back support garments, and moreparticularly to a one-piece support belt and compression pantsapparatus.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Millions of Americans suffer from back injuries and back pain, which caneasily be aggravated by participation in athletic, physical, and eveneveryday activities. The lower back, or lumbar region, supports theweight of the upper body and is the most common site of back injuries.Treatment for back injuries often involves restoring strength to theback and preventing recurrence of the injury.

Back patients often wear back support garments to compress and restrictmovement in the lumbar spine and surrounding muscles to prevent furtherback strain. There are many variations of compressive back supports inthe prior art. These often consist of a back support device made from astiff fabric configured to compress the wearer's waist area.

Although several back supports exist in the prior art, most existingback support apparatuses provide compressive support only to the lumbararea and fail to extend support to the tailbone region of the spine andits surrounding muscles, which are also vulnerable to injury.Furthermore, back supports of the prior art also do not provide adequatecompressive support to a wearer's leg and groin muscles. In addition,they do not provide for localized therapeutic heating or cooling of thelumbar region.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a backsupport apparatus that does not have the drawbacks of the prior art.

An object of the present invention is to provide a one-piece apparatusthat evenly distributes forces applied on the body during athletic,physical and every day activity, in particular those applied duringtwisting or forward bending movements, such as when swinging a golf clubor skiing downhill, over a wearer's lumbar to mid-thigh regions, whilesimultaneously providing therapeutic heating and cooling benefits.

In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, a back supportgarment for a wearer includes a compression pants portion configured toprovide support for the wearer's pelvis, legs, and groin area. A beltportion attached fixedly to and extending upwardly from the compressionpants portion and has a rear portion configured to support to a lumbarand an abdominal area of the wearer. The belt portion is attached to thepants portion so as to align its rear portion with the lumbar region ofthe wearer.

In another embodiment of the invention, the back support garment has apack support structure with one or more slots supporting therein one ormore hot or cold packs adjacent an inner surface of the pack supportstructure. The belt portion is attached to the pants portion so as toalign the pack support portion with a lumbar region of the wearer and tomaintain temperature transferring contact between the inner surface ofthe belt portion adjacent the hot and cold packs and the wearer's lumbarregion.

According to an aspect of the invention, the compression pants portionis shorts extending no lower than the thighs of the wearer. In anotheraspect of the invention, the compression pants portion extends past thewearer's knees.

In another aspect of the invention, a rear portion of the belt portionhas an insert receiving structure with one or more slots supportingtherein one or more inserts configured to provide further support forthe wearer's back.

Other objects and advantages of the invention herein will becomeapparent in the specification below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the support garment of theinvention, as worn by a user.

FIG. 2 is a back view of the support garment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a left-hand side view of the support garment of FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 is a front view of the garment of FIGS. 1-3 when not worn,showing the pack support structure having multiple slots for receivinghot or cold packs.

FIG. 5 is a back view of the garment as seen in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a front view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention, as worn by a user.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial front view of another alternate embodimentof the present invention, showing the showing the pack support structurehaving only one slot for receiving hot or cold packs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the present apparatus generallycomprises a unitary garment having a belt portion 101 and a compressionpants portion 103. Belt portion 101 encircles the waist of a wearer, andextends upwardly from the compression pants portion 103.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the rear portion 105 of the belt portion 101is fixedly secured to a rear portion 107 of the pants portion 103, thuslocating the belt of the user when wearing the pants portion 103, andpreventing separation of the pants portion 103 from the belt portion 101when the wearer moves. Securing the pants portion 103 and the beltportion 101 distributes the compressive support provided by the pantsand the belt individually over the entire lumbar region extending fromthe wearer's waist to the wearer's tailbone area.

Referring to FIG. 5, the rear portion 107 of the pants portion 103 andthe rear portion 105 of the belt portion 101 are fixedly secured to eachother, as by glue or stitching, while, as shown in FIG. 4, the forwardwaistband portion 111 of the pants portion 103 and the forward portion113 of the belt portion 101 are configured so as to be releasablyattachable to one another by releasable connection structures or means.These portions 111 and 113 are adjustably and releasably connected witheach other so that the user can adjust a relative position of theforward waistband portion 111 of the pants portion 103 in relation tothe forward portion 113 of the belt portion 101, so as to comfortablyconform the garment to the wearer's body.

In the embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the forward waistband portion 111of the pants portion 103 has secured thereon one or more strips of ahook and loop fastening fabric strips 115 and 117, such as Velcro®. Theunsecured bottom portions of the belt portion 101 are lined withcomplementary strips of hook and loop fastening fabric strips 119 and121, respectively, extending circumferentially about the waist of theuser and that releasably secure the forward portion 113 of belt portion101 to forward portion 111 of pants portion 103, by co-acting securementof fabric strips 115 and 117 with fabric strips 119 and 121.

The compression pants portion 103 is constructed from a light-weightelastic material having the requisite stiffness and elasticity tocompressively support the abdominal, groin and leg muscles of thewearer, while also being comfortable and providing ease of movementduring athletic, physical or daily activity. Examples of materials whichare suitable for these purposes include fabrics containing Lycra,Spandex, or a similar stretch material. In the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the material further has moisture-wicking capabilitieswhich further prevent chafing and allow for cooling of the coveredmuscles when the user is performing sweat-inducing activities.

In the preferred embodiment, the compression pants portion 103 is shortsthat extend no lower than the thighs of the wearer, from the wearer'swaist area to a mid or lower thigh position. This length providescompressive support to the wearer's abdominal, groin, and quadricepsmuscles, and is suitable for wear during most athletic, physical, oreveryday activities.

The belt portion 101 is constructed from a stiff fabric to enhancestabilization and support of the lumbar region, while also allowing thewearer enough freedom of movement to engage in athletic, physical ordaily activity requiring twisting or bending of the spine. Syntheticlaminated or woven stretchable fabrics, such as Neoprene, manufacturedby the DuPont Corporation, are desirable due to their stiffness,flexibility, and insulating properties. In the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the material is a permeable or breathable fabric thatalso wicks perspiration away from the skin for enhanced comfort, such asBreathoprene®, by AccuMED Technologies, Inc. The material forming thebelt portion is sufficiently thin so as to make the belt invisible whenworn under other garments or athletic attire. Preferably, the overallthickness of the belt is between 1 mm and 5 mm, as this provides therequisite amount of lumbar support, while maintaining the invisibilityof the belt under the wearer's outer garments.

Use of the above materials is desirable for their mechanical properties,but such material may cause sticking of the wearer's outer garments tothe belt. Accordingly, the outer surface of the belt is covered by athin, smooth fabric such as Nylon so as to minimize friction between theuser's outer clothing and belt during periods of contact, and to preventbunching of the wearer's outer garments around the belt. The fabriccovering the outer surface of the belt should be so thin that it has no,or minimal effect on the overall thickness of the belt.

As best seen in FIGS. 4 and 5, belt portion 101 has a first and secondends 113 and 114, that are each configured so as to be releasablyattachable to each other, allowing the wearer to fasten the belt portion101 tightly around the wearer's waist in a range of possible waistsizes, so as to wear the belt snugly as depicted in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3.The first end 113 of the belt portion 101 has secured thereon a patch116 of hook and loop type fastening fabric, and the second end 114 ofthe belt portion 101 is lined with a complementary co-acting patch 118of hook and loop type fastening fabric. The patches 116 and 118 arelarge enough about the waist of the wearer, and configured to bereleasably secured to each other in a variety of waist size positionsand with some varying angulation, if desired. Alternatively, the entireinner surface 123 of the belt can be lined with the loop material so asto co-act with a patch of hook fabric secured onto the second end 114 ofthe belt. Other types of fastening mechanisms, such as a buckle orlace-up configuration having openings in it may also be used toadjustably secure the belt portion 101 around the waist of the user.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner surface 123 of the belt portion 101includes two pack support structures 125 with one or more slots thereinconfigured to receive therapeutic hot or cold packs 127. The packsupport structures 125, which are secured to the inner surface 123 ofthe belt portion 101 by glue or stitching, are positioned so as tomaintain temperature transferring contact between the inner fabric ofthe support structures 125 adjacent the inserted therapeutic packs 127and the lumbar region of the wearer when the belt portion 101 isfastened around the wearer's waist. Preferably, the therapeutic packs127 are sized so as to cover the wearer's entire back waist region wheninserted into the slots, including the spinal cord and its surroundingmuscles.

The pack support structures 125 are preferably formed from a singlepiece of waterproof and breathable material such as nylon, which issufficiently strong to accommodate the weight of the pack withouttearing, but which is thin enough so that the hot or cold effects of thepacks can instantly be felt by the wearer. A mesh material, as shown,may be employed for the inner fabric of the support structures 125, or apiece of continuous material may be used.

As shown in FIG. 4, the inner fabric of the pack support structures 125and the inner surface 123 of the belt portion 101 adjacent thetherapeutic packs 127 have secured thereon strips of co-acting hook andloop fastening fabric 129, thereby allowing the wearer to close theopenings formed by the pack support structures 125 and firmly positionthe get packs 125 in the pack support structures. Other types of closuremechanisms, such snaps or buttons, may also be used to close theopenings formed by the pack support structures.

A wide variety of therapeutic hot and cold packs are commerciallyavailable for use with the present invention. Ice packs, for example,are often distributed as pre-sealed plastic sacks containing refrigerantgels or liquids, but can also be homemade variants made from suitableplastic bags filled with crushed or cubed ice. Heat packs are alsowidely available as microwavable plastic sacks containing a liquid or agel with a high specific heat. Commercially available electric heatingand cooling packs may also be used.

As best shown in FIG. 5, the outer surface 131 of the rear portion 105of the belt portion 101 is provided with one or more additional insertsupport structures 133 secured fixedly thereon and configured toremovably receive one or more rigid inserts 135. Preferably, an insertsupport structure 133 is positioned in the belt portion 101 so that whenworn, the inserts 135 each align spaced on each side adjacent the user'sspinal cord so that the inserts 135, when placed in the insert supportstructures 133, provide additional support to the spinal cord and itssurrounding muscles, or help the wearer maintain proper back alignment.

A user may choose not to use inserts 135 with the slots in pack supportstructures 133, since the inserts 135 further restrict the range ofmovement of the user's spine, potentially making it difficult for thewearer to engage in certain athletic, physical or everyday activities.This embodiment relying on the inserts may be desirable for individualsnursing a more serious back injury requiring extra support. Theremovable nature of the rigid inserts 135 means that the support garmentcan be selectively used with or without support, depending on thespecific requirements of the selected activity of the user.

The inserts 135 are formed from a lightweight material, such as plasticor rubber, and have a variable resistance to bending that is determinedby the insert's thickness and the properties of the material from whichthe insert 135 is formed. The inserts 135 are sufficiently thin so as tobe less visible when the garment is worn under other clothing, and areof a sufficient length so as to extend over the lumbar region of thewearer extending above the pelvis. The insert support structures 133receiving the inserts 135 are each preferably formed from a single pieceof material having sufficient strength to accommodate the weight of theinsert 135, and to secure the insert 135 in stiffening support of thebelt portion 101.

In an alternate embodiment, which is depicted in FIG. 6, compressionpants portion 203 extends downward past the wearer's lower thigh, so asto also cover a user's knees and calves. This embodiment also providesadded warmth and support to a wearer's calf muscles, and is preferablefor wear during cold weather activities, such as skiing, skating, orsnowmobiling. Belt portion 201 is configured similarly to the embodimentof FIGS. 1 to 5 and the same reference numbers are used forcorresponding parts thereof.

In a further alternate embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 7, thepack support structure 301 has a single interior space extendinglaterally substantially across the back of the user. This structure 301is configured to receive and support therein a single, elongatedtherapeutic hot or cold pack 303 that is sized so as to cover thewearer's entire back waist region in the interior space. The innerfabric of the pack support structure 301 and the inner surface 123 ofthe belt portion 101 adjacent the elongated hot or cold pack 303 arereleasably secured to each other by strips of co-acting hook and loopfastening fabric 305 thereon, so as to allow the wearer to close thespace 303.

The materials and construction of the belt 101 is otherwise similar tothat of the belt portion 101 of the preferred embodiment, and similarreference characters are used for complementary parts.

It will be understood that the invention herein extends well beyond theembodiments of the disclosure, and the terms used in this specificationshould be understood to be language of description, not limitation, asthose of skill in the art with this specification before them will beable to make changes and modifications therein without departing fromthe spirit of the invention.

1. A back support garment for a wearer, said garment comprising: a compression pants portion being configured to provide support for the wearer's pelvis, legs, and groin area; and a belt portion attached fixedly to and extending upwardly from the compression pants portion; said belt portion being configured to support a lumbar and an abdominal area of the wearer, and including a rear portion configured to overlay and support the lumbar portion of the wearer; said belt portion being attached to said pants portion so as to align the rear portion with the lumbar region of the wearer.
 2. The back support garment of claim 1, further comprising a pack support structure supporting therein one or more hot or cold packs adjacent an inner surface of said belt portion, said belt portion being attached to said pants portion so as to align the pack support portion with the lumbar region of the wearer and to maintain temperature transferring contact between an inner surface of the pack support structure adjacent said hot and cold packs and the wearer's lumbar region.
 3. The back support garment of claim 1, wherein said rear portion of the belt portion includes rigidifying structure.
 4. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein the rear portion of said belt portion has an insert receiving structure supporting therein one or more inserts being configured to provide further support for the wearer's back, said inserts being composed of material having a resistance to bending greater than that of the rear portion of the belt portion.
 5. The back support garment of claim 4, wherein said insert support structure has slots receiving said inserts, and said inserts being removable by the wearer by sliding out of the associated slot.
 6. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein said compression pants portion is shorts extending no lower than the thighs of the wearer.
 7. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein said compression pants portion extends downwardly past the wearer's knees.
 8. The back support garment according to claim 2, wherein a rear portion of said compression pants portion is fixedly secured to the rear portion of said belt portion adjacent the hot or cold packs.
 9. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein said belt portion comprises a first end and a second end that are releasably attachable to each other so as to adjustably secure said belt tightly around the wearer's waist.
 10. The back support garment according to claim 9, wherein first and second ends of said belt are arranged in a front portion of said belt.
 11. The back support garment according to claim 9, wherein said first end of said belt has hook and loop fastener material fixedly secured thereto and said second end of said belt has complementary hook and loop fastener material fixedly secured thereto so that said first end is releasably and adjustably attachable to said second end.
 12. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein said pants portion has a forward waistband portion that is releasably attachable to a portion of said belt portion to adjust a relative position of the pants portion to the belt portion.
 13. The back support garment according to claim 12, wherein said forward waistband portion of said pants portion has hook and loop fastener fabric fixedly secured thereto and said portion of said belt portion has complementary hook and loop fastener material fixedly secured thereto to adjust a relative position of the pants portion to the belt portion.
 14. The back support garment according to claim 4, wherein said inserts are plastic.
 15. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein said belt portion is made from a breathable and semi-rigid material.
 16. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein said compression pants portion is made from a material containing an elastic fabric so that the compression pants portion compresses the wearer's body when thereon.
 17. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein said compression pants portion is made is made from a material having moisture-wicking properties.
 18. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein said compression pants portion is made is made from nylon fabric.
 19. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein surfaces of said belt portion are lined with a fabric having a low coefficient of friction.
 20. The back support garment according to claim 1, wherein said belt portion has a thickness between 1 mm and 5 mm. 